In the morning Chihiro woke. She wasn't alone this time though. Haku was there with her.
Chihiro felt sore. The scar on her back was not doing too well. She noticed the familiar room in Haku's
house. It seemed like so long ago to her now.
As she sat up on the bed, Haku came into the room with soup on a tray for her.
"How do you feel?"
"Happy." Chihiro said with a weak smile on her face. "I'm not alone anymore."
"I'm glad," Haku set the tray down on a nightstand. "But physically and mentally speaking how are you?"
"Oh...well...that's a bit more complicated." Chihiro sighed.
"I know about the child." Chihiro looked up at him, shocked. "I even locked it away in a magic scroll locked away in a
magic box which I then put a barrier on."
"WHAT? You did all that?" Chihiro was dumbfounded.
"Yes. And then it escaped and returned to your body. It even spoke to me last night. I think this was an act of the gods."
"What do you mean?" Chihiro asked, puzzled.
"I can't really explain everything but that spirit inside you is looking for a place to stay. At any rate, how are you
feeling? Do you think you can stand and walk?"
Chihiro tried to stand up but it seemed she didn't have the strength to do so.
"Careful. Here take this soup it will help you regain your strength." Haku looked at Chihiro but she seemed to be out of
it again. "Chihiro?"
"I don't know if I can take this much longer. The pain on my scar is unbearable. I keep taking that substance even though
I know I shouldn't! I don't even know what
it is!"
"Wait now don't talk like that. Listen to me, Chihiro. The child is making your mind unstable. It's making you go crazy. You understand?"
"What? how do you know that?" she asked.
"Because I spoke to it. Or, rather, it spoke to me."
"Huh?" Chihiro stilled seemed to be out of it. Haku brought a chair by her and took the soup from the tray.
"We are going to see Zeniba. But first you should eat this."
"Haku..." Teary-eyed, Chihiro let him feed her. "Can I stay here forever?"
"'If you want me to leave this body, take me to the North Statue in the burning cold sun. I must rest eternally there
where my masters can gaurd me' is what it said."
Haku and Chihiro were at Zeniba's by now, explaining the situation.
"A riddle eh? It seems this child is the cause behind everything." Zeniba answered.
"So what's going on? What is this thing thats resting inside of me? And why is it doing all this?" Chihiro said.
"Haku," Zeniba said, "It would seem that this child is the source of power. But it seems as though it has a little persona
afterall. Something must have happened when Chihiro had the necklace and crossed over."
"I figured as much." Haku sat down on the couch in Zeniba's homestead, right next to a bewildered Chihiro.
"Chihiro," Zeniba said,"The necklace you held brought not only the child to you, but also problems here in the spirit world. This
child has been affecting the balance ever since you crossed over. And the only way to fix it is by returning it to its
rightful place. Haku, I took the opportunity to call Rio and Kuja after you left. This needs to be done hastily, or else
who knows what may happen with our worlds." Just then the door opened with no one standing in the doorway. Chihiro jumped off her seat as the door slowly swung open. Rio popped his head into the doorway and smiled.
"I hope I'm not to late for anything." He said, scratching his head. Chihiro sighed, but then jumped when she heard to
more voices pop in.
"Kuja, remember last time. I will not hold back if you try that again." Rin said as she walked in, followed by a
mischievious Kuja.
"Well it looks like everyone's here." Chihiro heaved another sigh. "Wait, everyone is here! Again!" Everyone looked at
Chihiro and realized they were all together again.
"Well look what we have here!" Kuja said. "My wonderful little human!" Kuja picked her up and spinned her around, making
her a bit dizzy.
"Hey!" Haku and Rin said in unison. Rin shoved Kuja aside and hugged Chihiro.
"How are you Chihiro? It's been too long!"
"Rin! This is just like old times." Chihiro gave a genuine smile for the first time in a long time.
"And it seems as though this time there is something different about you." Rio said from a corner of the room. "Let's see
if we can lift that burden shall we?"
"Ah," Chihiro said eagerly, "We need to go to this place in the North Statue in the burning cold sun. Where is this place?
How do we get there?"
"That is a most puzzling riddle indeed." Zeniba answered. "It looks like you all have work to do. I'll be working with the
counsel for preparations while you all figure it out."
"Wait a second. How can you not know?" Haku retorted. "Why are you not telling us?"
"Well it's not like anything can be done right now. Besides it's not that hard to figure out."
"Oh really?" Haku said.
"Yes, really. I'll take my leave then. Preparations must be done in advance. I'm heading over to the council." With that,
everyone left Zeniba's home and Zeniba headed over to the spirit's council.
Sitting in a circle in the woods, the old friends were once again reunited. "I still can't figure out where this place is. Rio, you got any ideas?" Haku said.
"Well from what you described it seems as though it is another world. A place for eternal rest for spirits."
"Like heaven?" Chihiro said.
"Or the underworld." Rin said.
"Something like that." Rio said, "Although not quite. And I am still not sure how to get there."
"Looks like We'll have to wait for Zeniba to tell us." Haku said.
"Where are we trying to get to again?" Said kuja, oblivious to what's been going on.
"Really? You are such a moron!" Rin said. "Pay attention!" She smacked the back of his neck.
"Ow! Ok I got it! Just tell me where you guys are trying to go."
"Alright, you idiot. Listen carefully. The child we were talking about before said this to me in a dream, 'If you want me
to leave this body, take me to the North Statue in the burning cold sun. I must rest eternally there where my masters can
gaurd me.' So that's what we..."
"Oh! I know where that is!" Kuja burst out, cutting off Haku. "It's the old temple on the highest mountain! It's got four
statues, remember?
"EHH?" They said in unison to Kuja's outburst.
"How could an idiot like you figure that out so easily?" Rin
"It appears we were making it more complicated than it needed to be." Chihiro chuckled.
"Well then," Haku started. "It makes sense now why Zeniba said it will take a while."
"Ah, so you figured out what 'burning cold sun' means?" Rio said.
"Naturally, because the snow and sun only hit it during one week in the year. That temple is quite mysterious. We'll have
to wait for winter to come again."
"That's quite a bit of time from now. Spring just started." Rin said, scratching her head.
"Well then I guess we have no choice but to wait." Haku said. Rio looked over at Chihiro and sensed that something was
wrong.
"Haku, I think Chihiro needs to go back to the human world."
"Hey, I know this isn't helping but it's not like she can run away from that thing inside her. She needs to be here with
me!" Haku stood up, agitated.
"Oh, I'm not disputing that. Stay with her. Make sure she is safe. But, just go back to the human world."
"Wait...so you think I should go to the human world?" Haku was surprised by such an idea, especially coming from Rio.
"I'm only saying this because things have become considerably more unstable since a day ago. Her entrance back into this
world is speeding up the problem, unfortunately." Rio said.
"Ah your right!" Haku said. "But me going to the human world is very complicated..."
"How so?" Rin said.
"Well..." Haku didn't know where to begin.
"Can I stay here forever?" Chihiro looked at Haku, wanting so badly not to leave again. But she had the feeling that she
had to go back. She knew it wasn't right to abandon her mother and be somewhere she wasn't supposed to be.
"Uh, Chihiro..." Haku looked at her, wondering what he could say, but in the end he knew that although they were together,
they would have to part eventually. Staying together only caused problems. But even so he replied with a weak, "I don't
know."